Extreme Sailing Series: Like Formula One on water?

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – The Extreme Sailing Series provides volatile racing action, as the Aberdeen Asset Management crew found when capsizing in Cowes, England.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – Sailors are stretched to their limit throughout the events. Here, Realteam bowman Thierry Wasem holds on by his feet as he tries to keep his crew on track.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – The series is about close, stadium racing, enabling boats such as Holmatro (pictured) to get tight to rivals and spectators alike.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – The margins between triumph and disaster tend to be very fine, as BT Betterworld's crew know all too well.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – Among the competitors are a host of well-known teams, including former America's Cup winner Alinghi.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – Perhaps the most high-profile entrant this year is America's Cup winner Ben Ainslie, who will skipper his own crew when the competition starts in Singapore.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – For all his experience, though, Ainslie has been warned about the perils of the series, where crashes and damage to multimillion-dollar catamarans are not uncommon.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – Unlike many other top-class sailing events, fans and spectators are able to get up close and personal with the competitors.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – The series travels to all manner of venues across the globe after the first "act" (as each regatta is known) in Singapore starting February 20.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – No venue is too small, apparently, with crews even battling it out on the narrow canals of Amsterdam, Holland, in recent years.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – The series plays host to a variety of breathtaking backdrops, such as this one in Portugal last season.

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Sailing in the extreme12 photos

Sailing's Extreme Race Series – The man to beat this year is British skipper Leigh McMillan, who is targeting a hat-trick of series titles with his boat The Wave Muscat.

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Story highlights

Extreme Sailing Series likened to motor racing on the water

America's Cup winner Ben Ainslie among the star names set to compete this year

Races take place everywhere from Amsterdam canals to the Sydney Opera House

Crashes and capsizes are all in a day's work for the competitors

It's like motor racing on water -- deafening music blares out in the countdown to races, and fans flock to the water's edge. Welcome to the Extreme Sailing Series, extreme by name and extreme by nature.

Expect capsizing, high-speed wipeouts and crashes involving catamarans that are twice the size of the biggest Olympic boats -- and notably faster, reaching top speeds of 30 knots. That's a speed of 35 mph (56 kph) -- maybe not as quick as an elite sports car, but fast enough for huge adrenalin surge.

Races take place across the globe, from narrow Amsterdam canal waterways to Sydney's spacious harbor for the season finale.

It's no surprise, then, that extreme sailing has been described as the Formula One of the water -- although it's less wheel-to-wheel and more hull-to-hull racing.

For his part, Ainslie, himself a F1 fan, likens it to another form of motorsport: "It's basically sailing's version of stock-car racing. The courses are very short and there are collisions and spills."

This is sailing with a twist, as crews regularly employ guests on board, often celebrities, with the likes of Duran Duran singer Simon LeBon, ex-F1 boss Eddie Jordan, former England cricketer Michael Vaughan and current Wales rugby skipper Sam Warburton having tackled the world's waters in competition.

The 2014 season -- the seventh since its inception -- starts in Singapore on Thursday. It will be Ainslie's first race since winning the America's Cup and, as well as being a means to whet his appetite for future events, there is also a more serious purpose to his involvement this time around.

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"When you don't race for a long time, it gives you that burning hunger again," he says. "There's definitely the hunger to get back and race, that's what I do.

"The series is a laugh too but it's also the closest thing this year to the multihulls of America's Cup racing, which is the main goal."

Ainslie is still plotting a British team entry into sailing's premier event, aiming to raise the $100 million budget required as well as get the necessary expertise on board to captain his own crew, having helped Oracle storm back from an 8-1 deficit to beat Team New Zealand 9-8 in a thrilling title defense.

Yet for all his experience and expertise, the four-time Olympic champion could finish well down the pecking order in the Extreme Sailing Series, when he is paired against sailors for whom the sport is deeply ingrained from seasons past.

Among those is compatriot Leigh McMillan, a one-time Olympian who makes no secret of the fact that Ainslie was his hero as he came through the ranks of British sailing.

McMillan's boat, The Wave Muscat, is the one to beat as the 33-year-old seeks a hat-trick of titles.

"It's a bit of a dream to be racing against Ben," says McMillan. "He's done fantastic things for the sport of sailing, and I'm excited about the challenge of racing against him.

"I hope to learn a lot from him. If I beat him, it will be the proudest moment of my career.

"Winning events this year will be really, really hard, maybe the toughest season ever. It will be extremely difficult, especially as we're racing against potential America's Cup teams with the resources that go with it."

For his part, McMillan describes the racing, which involves crews of five on the Extreme 40 vessels, with a VIP or guest as well, as "hectic."

This year's series begins in Singapore and ends in Sydney, with visits to St. Petersburg, Russia, and Istanbul, Turkey among others.

Each of the eight rounds of the series are known as acts, such a title adding further to the drama on show. There are four days of racing at each act -- one open-water and three other stadium-racing days in front of the eyes of an expectant public.

It's short, sharp racing, each lasting just 10 to 12 minutes, and the first over the finish line wins. Points of a maximum of 10 are awarded for the eight daily races and the crew with the most points at the end of each act is the winner.

The team with the highest number of points across all the regattas claims the series trophy.

McMillan admits the racing can get nasty on occasion, such is the competitive nature of the sailors.

Greatest sporting comebacks 10 photos

Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

Sailing close to the wind – Oracle Team USA sailed close to the wind in the 2013 America's Cup, turning an 8-1 deficit into a 9-8 victory over New Zealand . The turnaround was helped by technical alterations to the boat and a new race tactician. So what's the secret to a great comeback? CNN explores the ingredients required to defy the sporting odds...

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

Miracle of Medinah – Teamwork helps when conjuring a comeback. Europe's golfers staged a record recovery in the 2012 Ryder Cup, clawing back a four-point deficit on the final day to defeat the U.S. on home soil in Illinois. There were no hard feelings between the defeated Tiger Woods (right) and the victorious Rory McIlroy on the 18th green at Medinah.

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

Reds keep calm – Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard famously slept with the trophy in his bed after his team's sensational win in European football's Champions League in 2005. But all 11 men on the pitch had to keep cool heads as Liverpool came back from 3-0 down at halftime to beat Italy's AC Milan on penalties in the final.

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

Painting Boston red – Baseball fans painted Boston red in 2004 after the Red Sox won the World Series in what some say is baseball's greatest comeback. The team launched an unprecedented recovery from 3-0 down in the playoffs against the New York Yankees. The invigorated Red Sox then beat the Cardinals in four straight games to win their first World Series since 1918.

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

The real life Rocky – Sometimes it takes just one person to etch a place in the pantheon of great sporting comebacks. In 1952 American boxer Rocky Marciano (center) had been knocked down in the first round and was losing on all the judges' scorecards before he landed his own knockout blow in the 13th round to defeat Jersey Joe Walcott (left) and become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world.

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

One man mission – Lasse Viren literally picked himself up off the floor to complete his famous comeback at the 1972 Olympic Games. The Finnish runner won gold in the 10,000 meters -- and broke the world record too -- after falling over on the 12th lap of the race.

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

Goran the Great – An emotional Goran Ivanisevic hit the floor after becoming the first wildcard entry to win Wimbledon in 2001. The Croatian came into the final after a five-set semifinal against Tim Henman. He had to call on physical and mental reserves to beat Pat Rafter to the trophy in another seesaw five-set epic.

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

Living Legend – Sometimes sporting comebacks are defined by the indomitable power of the human spirit. After being badly burned in a fiery crash in 1976, Austrian Formula One driver Niki Lauda was back on the racetrack just 42 days later. Another brave decision not to take part in the title-deciding Japanese Grand Prix because of safety concerns cost him the defense of his world title, but he would go on to win two more championships.

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

Hogan heroics – American golfer Ben Hogan recovered from horrific injuries sustained in a head-on car crash in 1949 to win the U.S. Open the following year. On instinct, he had moved across the car to protect his wife -- an action that saved his life. Hogan would go on to win five more major titles -- nine in total -- and is considered one of the game's greats.

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Greatest sporting comebacks10 photos

Old hand at the helm – Oracle Team USA added another key ingredient to their America's Cup comeback brew -- someone who had pulled off a coup before. Ben Ainslie, drafted in as the team's new tactician, won Olympic gold from the brink of defeat in 2012. "After six races I was in trouble," said the Briton, who also had a back injury. "Thankfully I turned it around."

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EXPAND GALLERY

America's Cup: The final showdown 10 photos

America's Cup: The final showdown10 photos

America's Cup: The final showdown – Oracle Team USA skippered by James Spithill celebrates onstage after defending the Cup as they beat Emirates Team New Zealand to defend the America's Cup during the final race on September 25, 2013 in San Francisco, California.

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America's Cup: The final showdown10 photos

Party time – It didn't take long for the party to get started following Oracle Team USA's victory. The reigning champion, which had trailed 8-1 at one stage, won by 44 seconds in the final race to win the competition 9-8.

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America's Cup: The final showdown10 photos

New Zealand nerves – Emirates Team New Zealand fans thought they would be celebrating a famous victory with their crew taking an 8-1 lead in the contest -- but an incredible fightback by Oracle Team USA forced a decisive race. Only twice before in the competition's 162-year history has there been a winner-takes-all final.

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America's Cup: The final showdown10 photos

Big Ben – British Olympic hero Ben Ainslie has been the catalyst for Oracle Team USA's fightback. Ainslie, 36, took over the role of tactician from John Kostecki with his team 4-1 down.

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America's Cup: The final showdown10 photos

Stars and stripes – Oracle Team USA was given a huge ovation by the home crowd as its team members boarded the ferry. Supporters flocked to watch with the prospect of history being made.

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America's Cup: The final showdown10 photos

Changing tides? – Emirates Team New Zealand, skippered by Dean Barker, took to the water hoping to turn around its nightmare run of form.

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America's Cup: The final showdown10 photos

History boys? – Oracle Team USA took the water knowing victory would cap off a historic comeback victory.

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America's Cup: The final showdown10 photos

Side by side – Emirates Team New Zealand made an encouraging start but it was the reigning champion which went on to dominate the contest -- winning by 44 seconds.

Champagne moment – The celebrations begin as Oracle Team USA pull off a momentous victory to win the America's Cup 9-8.

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New challenge for sailing star 8 photos

New challenge for sailing star8 photos

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New challenge for sailing star8 photos

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New challenge for sailing star8 photos

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New challenge for sailing star8 photos

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New challenge for sailing star8 photos

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New challenge for sailing star8 photos

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New challenge for sailing star8 photos

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New challenge for sailing star8 photos

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EXPAND GALLERY

"I know Ben's got a reputation for being quite aggressive but we can be aggressive too," he says.

"I'm quite feisty but also with my experience you have to sail the percentages. You want to stay out of sticky situations, to avoid crashes and to avoid the jury having to make decisions."

Crashes do happen though, and not surprisingly with relative frequency compared to most sailing racing formats.

"I've been involved in the series from the start and I'm still amazed by the adrenalin buzz I get from it each and every time we race," adds McMillan.

"You get crashes and it can get quite close for comfort. But the boats are really, really strong -- they're so very well built. If the crashes do happen, things are set up that they're fixed overnight."

Despite some impressive collisions and capsizes, organizer Andy Tourell believes only one boat has lost out a day's racing as a result of a prang -- a remarkable achievement bearing in mind the topsy-turvy nature of this form of racing.

Tourrell does not quite agree with Ainslie's stock-car-racing analogy, but he says the unpredictable sailing certainly differs to the F1 seasons of recent years.

While Sebastian Vettel has sauntered to four straight titles, McMillan's potential for a treble could well have been scuppered at the final hurdle in 2013.

"Last season came down to the last act of the last race of the last day," Tourrell says. "That gives you an indication of how close it tends to be."

From its outset, the Extreme Sailing Series has tried to be different -- from the element of stadium racing that Tourrell and his team first introduced, to the idea of getting guest sailors, whether they be celebrities, journalists or sponsors.

It means crews have to engage in top-flight racing with a complete stranger on board.

"Sailing too often is not accessible to the public, so we wanted to ensure they were within touching distance of the racing," says Tourrell.

"It was a huge risk as it had never been done before. We wanted to put boats inside a stadium. Of course, there was some negativity from the purists but I think we're over that now.

"It's been a long road to get this far but it really feels like we're on the brink of taking it to the next level."